


Taste

by papyrocrat



Category: Dollhouse
Genre: Attic-fic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-11
Updated: 2010-07-11
Packaged: 2017-11-17 14:50:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/552754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/papyrocrat/pseuds/papyrocrat





	Taste

Once your cover’s blown, you trash pretense and fight with anything you have.Dominic had chemistry with Adelle; tried psych on Echo-whoever-she-was-now, but neither had worked.Running wasn’t an option.He’d made sure of that.

He strains for his gun, needles and wires yanking his insides out as he fires, but even that fails. 

Dominic has never been weaponless before the moment Boyd pulls the gun from his hand.

“Do it,” Adelle spits.

He tries Adelle one more time –terror and want and _pleaseGodno_.She’s cold, bloody, and victorious –the way she always is. Dom bites down until he tastes iron.

He still screams.

*

The whiskey burns going down.He hates reporting to this cheap bastard.

“It’s fine.Creepy, but fine. It’s basically a Playboy mansion with a much more exclusive guest list.Except for the greedy shits on both.”

It’s been his answer for years, even after Alpha, so Cole nods.“Can’t blame ‘em too much, though, huh?”Dom shrugs.“Inter-agency issues?” 

“Still under control.Ballard will find the Dollhouse eventually, but nobody will believe him.Still.It might be best to get some limited information to our FBI contacts.”Cole scoffs. 

“This DeWitt person?She’s capable?”

He smirks.“She’s careful.It’s her ass on the line too.”

Outside, the world burns.

His contact winks casually at the bartender and orders another scotch.

*

As nightmares go, this one isn’t bad.It’s bright and bold and the poor sucker stuck here is nice enough.Situation’s contained, until a huge man swings through the window and barrels for the guy at the table.

Dom goes instinctively for the gun he doesn’t have, then reaches for a heavy lamp and flings it towards the intruder.

The man obviously hadn’t expected a fight, but is just as obviously ready to put up one.Dom beats him back, though, with a sturdy vase and a knife off of the table.

Dom braces himself for an uncomfortable bout of thanks, but the occupant blinks up placidly at him.“I must enjoy myself.”

*

This time, his scotch is smooth and delicious.

“Are you sure it’s wise to wage such a full-frontal attack on Rossum, ma’am?Your gambit with Echo, Victor, and Sierra was quite gutsy.”

She gives him her most satisfied catlike smile.“On the contrary, Mr. Dominic, it was my duty as a loyal employee to see that the troublemakers were contained, and it’s now my duty to keep them conscious and under armed guard so they can be studied.They have Mr. Langdon’s concentrated attention.”

Dom’d had his reservations about Langdon - too earnest, and too willing to show it - but he lets it go.“Still, ma’am, playing both sides against the other?Surely you know the risks.”

Her smile goes cold, and her abdomen leaks blood.“You’d know a little something about that, wouldn’t you?”She pulls out a gun. _Not like this_ , he thinks desperately, and bolts past her to the door.

*

The lights flicker.It’s not like in an office building, making a few seconds of dusk in the daylight, but a whole world wavering in and out of existence.

He thinks of Clyde, who’s a dead man no matter what.

That isn’t Lawrence Dominic.

The world shakes one more time, and this time when he blinks, he’s under mundane fluorescent light, choking down saline.

He sits up and tears out the wires. The lights are flickering out here too, and dead and unconscious people are everywhere.He strips clothing and a gun off a dead guard, and goes off to find DeWitt.


End file.
